Dead Center - 2/4: Streets
In The Streets, the Survivors follow the helicopters from the hotel as they head towards the evacuation center at the mall. This chapter contains a Crescendo Event in which the Survivors must obtain a pack of Cola from a Save 4 Less convenience store with an alarmed door for the owner of a nearby gun store, who returns the favor by clearing the roadblock that prevents the Survivors from reaching the mall. Half way through the chapter, you'll come across a gun store under the ownership of Whitaker that contains 4 of every Tier 1 and Tier 2 weapon in the game, some Ammo piles, 2 Axes, 4 First Aid Kits, and Laser sights. Strategy Versus At the start of the level, there are three good places to spawn. These places are on the roof ledge to the right of the safe room, behind the chain link fence to the left, and behind the CEDA tuck cabin right in front of the safe room. Throughout the streets, there are several places with a height advantage over the streets. These spots are perfect for spawning and getting the upper hand on the Survivors. About halfway through the level, there is a room with new weapons and a healing cabinet. Directly ahead is a ledge the Survivors must jump down, from which they can't get back up. This is a perfect place for another ambush, as if you or a friend can incapacitate someone on that ledge (when all the other Survivors have already jumped down), then they cannot save him. Another good ambush spot is at the gun store when the Survivors are restocking on health and ammo. Wait for them to signal for Whitaker to open the door leading to the Save 4 Less. Chargers are perfect here to charge down the stairs. When the Survivors enter the Save 4 Less, one key tactic is that you can actually spawn inside the store. There are plenty of corners and shelves to spawn behind. This is an ideal strategy, as usually only one Survivor goes to fetch the cola, as the others guard the front door. If the cola makes it outside the store, just remember to target whoever is carrying the cola, you want to delay them as much as possible. It's also preferable to all hold out near the cola-drop point, as again usually only one survivor goes to pour the cola. If the Survivors make it to the mall parking lot, there's not a ton of good places left to spawn, your best bet is likely spawning on the rooftop of the Save 4 Less. And running over to the ledge, so you can look into the parking lot. If you become the Tank, remember that there are a decent amount of cars in this level to punt around. Just be aware that there is also a high chance that a Survivor has a Molotov just for such an occasion. Tactics * There is a part in this chapter where the Survivors have to go over a dumpster to progress in the level. If a Survivors should get trapped/pinned behind the dumpster, you can return over to his side by running deeper into the tunnel, you should be able to hop over a cement guarding to your right. * There are no Infected inside the Save 4 Less. A good strategy often used is to have two players go in to retrieve the cola and have two players stand outside block the Infected from charging inside the building after them. **This tactic may not be as effective in Versus mode, as the Special Infected players can spawn inside the store while the Survivors run to grab the cola. Just be aware that any of the 'pinning' infected could spawn behind the food aisles at any time. * The most easy and effective way for this Event is to grab the cola and run, but before starting this Crescendo Event; be sure to hold a bile bomb with you or if playing with other people, have one of them carry one. Once thrown, you run to Whitaker and after giving the Cola, the bile bomb's goo should be either gone or just about to wear off so you can pick off the Infected that had piled up to the boomer bile. *Note that this does not attract Special Infected. So be aware of your surroundings! * To prevent any Infected from entering the store, toss a molotov at the doorway. By the time you grabbed the cola and have ran back, the flames should have cleared/be close to going out. Be warned as AI will attempt to follow you, even if it means treading through the flames. * The Crescendo Event can be an easy and quick event if done with good teamwork. A useful tactic is to have two players up on the balcony, next to the drop off door; one of these guys has the primary purpose of keeping the area clear of all Special Infected. Have one player on the upper parking lot just below the balcony, and the last guy on the lower parking lot, in front of the store doors. The lower player starts the event running in grabbing the cola and running out (keep in mind there are no Infected inside the store). Then the player tosses the cola over the hedges to the player on the higher parking lot. That player picks up the cola and throws it up to the balcony, where it is picked up and delivered it to Whitaker to by the other two players. After the first player throws the cola, they should find a corner, keeping in full sight of the other players. The player on the upper parking lot should either back up to the balcony or regroup with the player near the store. This tactic is only effective with a full team in multiplayer campaign mode and should not be attempted in Versus mode due to Infected players being able to spawn inside the store. * Survivors should be aware that the explosion which destroys the barricade is also capable of killing any Survivors within its range. Stay a distance away from the barricade whilst the cola is being delivered to prevent this. Notes * Save 4 Less is a reference to the name of the game. Additionally, the logo at the top of the store is modeled after the logo on the game's box art (minus the human hand). ** Save 4 Less may also be a reference to a chain of super markets known as Food 4 Less. * When you melee several times with the cola, then deliver it to the gun shop owner and let him shoot the barrier and wait a few more seconds, you can hear him open the cola. If done right, you can also hear him drinking the Cola. * If you stand in the street, it might be possible to see Whitaker as the window in his room opens. If you clip through the wall, to a hidden room above the door, you can see him appear, fire his weapon, and then disappear. You have to be quick though as he's only there for a few seconds. * Though Whitaker fires from a grenade launcher, his "grenade" appears to be more like a missile. * Ironically, the store alarm attracts a horde, yet no horde comes when Whitaker blows up the tanker next to the store. In fact, Whitaker destroying the tanker is what stops the alarm. Apparently the alarm is disabled by the blast. It can be assumed, however, that the utility pole knocked over by the tanker's destruction may have cut off power to the store, assuming the alarm wasn't backed up by a generator. * At the beginning of the level, you will exit the hotel, go right down the street, enter a building, and exit it onto another street. When you come out the last door, if you go into the middle of the road and turn around (if you are facing the pickup truck) a billboard advertising the Screaming Oak roller coaster (which is located in Whispering Oaks, which in turn is the location of the Dark Carnival campaign) can be seen. * The Crescendo Event in this chapter is rather odd: it is a gauntlet crescendo in the way that if you deliver the cola to Whitaker, the alarm will stop. However, if you hold out long enough (around 10-20 minutes) the alarm will stop by itself. The same oddity will occur at the carousel crescendo as well. * If a player stands next to, or an Infected runs past, Whitaker's intercom near the door, and says something, it will be amplified in a similar manner to the microphone in The Concert. * There is a shortcut to delivering the cola. Once you exit the store with the cola, look to your left, you will see a white van backed up against the wall. You can jump on the hood of this van and then the van roof, from there jumping over the fence and drastically cutting the route you take back to Whitaker. * Near the start of the chapter there is a medical tent possibly used by the CEDA, inside the tent you can find a dead Hazmat infected, and several IV's using the same model as the ones in No Mercy *In the Save 4 Less store, there is no food on the racks. **This is possibly due to looting. **It could also be for gameplay purposes however, as rendering all that food would be hardware heavy. *The prices on the weapons are very strange, for example, a 9mm Glock Pistol costs $1000 while an Uzi or Hunting Rifle only costs $400. ** However, there is a label that states this price is for Akimbo 9mm Glock Pistols or "Dual Wield" Pistols. **The "Weird" Price range can be due to the fact that a Uzi and Hunting Rifle are not as reliable during nose to nose combat for example, When the horde is charging at the survivors. **The coke in the bottles wiggles around, the same is seen with the Boomer Bile. **Even if you melee constantly with the Cola, the bottles never break. This was obiviously done for gameplay purposes. Gallery Image:C1m2 streets0002.jpg|Delivering the cola to the gun store owner. Image:Whitaker.png|Whitaker Image:Sign_grocery_01.png|Save 4 Less Image:Add.jpg|The Screaming Oak Billboard Category:Chapters Category:Dead Center Category:Left 4 Dead 2